NEW YEAR, NEW LIFE?

January First shows up and all of a sudden, I'm thinking, what happened last year? What might happen this year? What did I do to contribute to this world, if anything? What could I have done better, or worse?

I think about last year and know I probably could have done more—for myself, my husband, my family, and others. On the other hand, I could have done less.

So I’ve got a couple choices when I think about 2011.

1.  I can beat myself up. Tell myself I didn’t have that productive a year and could have done better. Could have done more, lots more.

2.  Or I can list what I did that was generous, productive, helpful, or kind. It can be an eye-opener, those times you did for others before you did for yourself.

But I need to think about balance, too. This year, I plan to do for others, but I plan to do for myself, too. I plan to work on a tough new project. I'm going to try to sell one of my children's or YA books. I'm going to continue my blog. I plan to support any friend who needs it, since so many people supported me this past year when I needed it. 

So 2012 is an open slate, and so am I. Do I record the good and the bad from 2011? Erase the good and agonize over the bad? Erase the bad and pat myself on the back?

It’s up to me. I want to do it all. Oops, Gloria Steinem is sneaking in.

Correction: I want 2012 to be a good year. And I want the choices I make to be mine.

How about you?
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